For all the chatter about who’s relocated and to where, the bottom line is that Americans are moving far less than they ever have.

American mobility is a critical factor in many facets of life – but no bigger than in the residential real estate game. Who moves – and when – determines everything from where housing should be built, if it is built at all; to who are the winners and losers in what sells or rents; to determining the incomes of the people and institutions paid by property transactions.

Perhaps the stay-at-home trend was best summed up by Trulia economist Jed Kolko’s analysis of new census data: “Back in the 1950s and 1960s, Americans moved every five years on average. That rose to every seven years by the turn of the century and has since increased to the current 8 1/2-year rate.”

My guess is that declining mobility for owners and renters alike is a mix of morphing demographics and sketchy economics – combined with a healthy dose of general skittishness. So here are my top 10 reasons you’re not moving soon:

No. 10: Telecommuting: Corporations think nothing these days of moving a plant or office to save a few bucks. That move can be down the highway or across the nation – or over an ocean. But modern communication tools don’t mean every employee must relocate. Census data shows full-time telecommuters have doubled in proportion in the past quarter-century to 4.4 percent of the workforce – and roughly half of all workers have some flexibility to work remotely.

No. 9: Older population: We are an aging society – and moving is a young person’s game. Most recent census data show roughly 3-in-5 people who moved in 2013 were younger than 30. And marriage – a key life event that creates household movement – is being delayed as couples tie the knot roughly two years later in their lives (28 for men, 26 for ladies) now vs. what they did in the 1990s.

No. 8: Fewer babies: Nothing creates a need for a new residence like a family addition, but folks are delaying having children, too. The nation’s fertility rate in 2013 was 1.86 births per woman, the lowest since 1986. Or look at it this way: The average age of a women giving birth the first time has risen from 21 in the 1970s to 26 today.

No. 7: Moving costs: This is not as much of a hurdle for renters as its is for owners. Movers who plan to own their next home face significant transaction expenses in buying and selling real estate. In a tight money era, such costs may quash some local relocation ideas. Households may consider remodeling, using the savings from foregone moving costs as cash to fix up the current home. (Note to industry: Lower fees create more moves?)

No. 6: No equity: Some owners are financially stuck. Even after a decent housing recovery, 1-in-6 Americans with mortgages owe more than their home’s worth – they’re unlikely movers. And Zillow says there’s an equally large group of homeowners in only slightly better loan shape. These owners don’t have enough equity in their homes, if they sold at today’s values, to be good candidates to immediately buy again.

No. 5: Lame product: For far too long, real estate developers built same-old, same-old housing – both in rental and ownership projects. That’s left many neighborhoods with somewhat similar looks and feels, lowering the potential excitement generated by a crosstown move. Are new housing designs we’ve seen during the recovery giving people enough incentive?

No. 4: New guy syndrome: The job market has improved to a point where new opportunities are noticeably available for workers willing to relocate. But who’s willing to be the new employee in a strange town, when the fear might be who’ll get cut first if business conditions change? Plus, more employers don’t have relocation-expense reimbursement plans – 1-in-5 won’t pay, says a survey by Atlas Moving Vans. Pretty good reasons why people voluntarily quit their jobs far less frequently than historical norms.

No. 3: Dual incomes: Think it’s hard enough to find one new job today? How about two? With 48 percent of households having two working family members, the thought of a relocation with each worker finding suitable employment seems financially tricky.

No. 2: Family ties: The kids or grandparents in the spare bedroom is not simply a recession-era cost-cutting move. Some families actually like – or have longstanding traditions keeping – grandparents and/or parents and/or grandchildren under one roof. Trulia found foreign-born seniors four times as likely to live with adult children as domestic-born seniors. It’s a good bet that multigenerational living will only grow in coming years.

No. 1: Stress: Numerous psychological studies confirm that moving is a major headache. And in an age where people already feel overwhelmed by day-to-day demands, the value created by a new residence has to significantly outweigh a household’s emotional turmoil created by a relocation. All the data showing slowing housing turnover suggests that moving anxiety is a high emotional bar to overcome.

Jonathan Lansner has been the Orange County Register business columnist since 1997 and has covered the local business scene for the newspaper since 1986. He is a past president of the Society of American Business Editors and Writers and a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School.

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